Auckland, New Zealand — China’s Wang Xinyu produced a nerve-shredding comeback to defeat Philippines rising star Alexandra Eala 5–7, 7–5, 6–4 at the ASB Classic, sealing her place in the final after a battle that lasted 2 hours 43 minutes.
The turning point: a match point survived
Eala had the match on her racquet in the second set, but Wang refused to blink. She escaped match point trouble, then flipped the momentum late in the set to level the contest — and carried that belief into the decider.
Afterwards, Wang summed up the moment with a calm line that perfectly captured the razor-thin margins of tennis:
If it goes in, I can just clap
.
How the match unfolded
- Set 1: Eala struck first, taking a tight opener 7–5 with disciplined baseline patterns and timely aggression.
- Set 2: Wang steadied her service games, saved pressure moments, and edged it 7–5 to force a decider.
- Set 3: With both players trading heavy rallies, Wang found the decisive break and closed out 6–4.
For Eala, it’s a painful finish to an otherwise encouraging week, showing she can trade blows with established WTA names on a hard court stage. For Wang, it’s a confidence-boosting statement: she can absorb pressure, survive the brink, and still finish.
Key stats that decided it
The numbers underline how Wang’s serve ultimately shaped the match — even with both players juggling nerves in key moments.
- Aces: Eala 2 — Wang 10
- Double faults: Eala 6 — Wang 7
- 1st serve in: Eala 72% — Wang 73%
- 1st serve points won: Eala 61% (52/85) — Wang 65% (58/89)
- 2nd serve points won: Eala 36% (12/33) — Wang 27% (9/33)
- Break points saved: Eala 53% (8/15) — Wang 68% (13/19)
Wang’s 10 aces were a constant get-out-of-trouble card, and her break points saved rate (13 of 19) tells the story of how she survived the biggest moments.
What it means next
The ASB Classic is one of the key tune-ups before the Australian Open, so a deep run here can carry real momentum. Wang now moves into the final with a big psychological boost after saving match point and winning from a set down.
Eala, meanwhile, leaves Auckland with plenty to build on — the level was there, and this match will be valuable experience in closing out tight second-set scenarios against a proven opponent.
